Scottish Executive

Agricultural Holdings Bill

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish its Agricultural Holdings Bill.

Ross Finnie: I plan to publish a draft Agricultural Holdings Bill for consultation in spring 2002. The timetable for the Bill will depend on the outcome of consultation and the availability of parliamentary time.

Agriculture

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount spent on the (a) Organic Aid, (b) Rural Stewardship and (c) Farm Woodlands Premium schemes was in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-2000.

Ross Finnie: The total amounts spent on the Organic Aid and Farm Woodland Premium Schemes in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 are detailed in the table. As 2001 is the first year of operation of the Rural Stewardship Scheme, there were no payments for this scheme in the years specified.

  


Scheme 
  

Year 
  

Amount 
  



Organic Aid Scheme 
  

1997-98 
  

£146,000 
  



1998-99 
  

£194,000 
  



1999-2000 
  

£1,226,000 
  



Farm Woodland Premium Scheme 
  

1997-98 
  

£2,400,000 
  



1998-99 
  

£2,850,000 
  



1999-2000 
  

£3,400,000

Agriculture

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it expects to save on the (a) Organic Aid, (b) Rural Stewardship and (c) Farm Woodlands Premium schemes as a result of the introduction of modulation.

Ross Finnie: There will be no saving of money as a result of the introduction of modulation. On the contrary, modulation will mean that in the period up to 2006 about £114 million will become available for new commitments under agri-environment and woodland schemes than would otherwise have been the case.

Animal Welfare

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations have received funding for animal welfare purposes over the last three years, how much such funding each organisation received and how the funding was spent in each case.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has not provided funding to organisations for animal welfare purposes.

Animal Welfare

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation on the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Mr Jim Wallace: There is already extensive legislation dealing with animal welfare. We will keep that under review.

Cancer

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the numbers of higher training posts for radiotherapy physicists.

Malcolm Chisholm: Grade B clinical scientists' posts including radiotherapy physicists are funded by NHS Trusts and cover a wide range of qualifications and experience. Post holders are expected to undertake further programmes of professional training, but there is not a nationally managed structure of post-registration training.

  The new Special Health Board for Education in NHSScotland, which I announced in June 2001, will, over a period of time, ensure suitable structures to support training for all groups of staff. Our National Health gave a commitment to improve our support and co-ordination of those aspects of workforce planning which need to be done centrally. The Executive is currently considering how to achieve this in the light of the report of the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group.

  The Scottish Cancer Group are also considering all workforce requirements flowing from Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change which will include radiotherapy physicists since their work is primarily concerned with cancer treatment.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS consultant oncology posts are currently vacant.

Malcolm Chisholm: Apart from recent staffing changes in Greater Glasgow NHS Boards, we are not aware of any other consultant oncology vacancies in NHSScotland.

  I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19753.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new patient referrals were accepted for each whole-time equivalent NHS consultant oncologist based at the (a) Aberdeen, (b) Dundee, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Glasgow and (e) Inverness Cancer Centres in each year since 1994.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information is not held centrally in the format requested. To provide a proxy indicator of activity, the table shows, by cancer centre, the number of referrals per consultant oncologist (whole-time equivalent) in NHSScotland for the years ending March 1995 to 2001.

  


Years Ending 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

20011




Scotland 
  

166 
  

189 
  

210 
  

221 
  

218 
  

237 
  



Aberdeen 
  

92 
  

163 
  

161 
  

184 
  

158 
  

170 
  



Dundee 
  

320 
  

336 
  

278 
  

311 
  

345 
  

289 
  



Edinburgh 
  

273 
  

271 
  

266 
  

232 
  

213 
  

239 
  



Glasgow 
  

109 
  

121 
  

172 
  

197 
  

211 
  

243 
  



Inverness 
  

262 
  

313 
  

260 
  

284 
  

269 
  

277 
  



  Notes:

  1. The number of oncologists as at September 2000 is provisional.

  These data most likely under-estimate the total activity and should not be taken as an accurate reflection of new patient referrals per whole-time consultant oncologist per centre as, for example, they do not include inter- or intra-hospital referrals.

  The number of first out-patient appointments per consultant oncologist (wte) has been calculated by dividing the numbers of first out-patient appointments in the year ending March by the number of consultant oncologists employed in the previous September (i.e. the mid point of the year).

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18265 by Susan Deacon on 6 November 2001, what assessment it made of any representations made by or on behalf of Greater Glasgow NHS Board to support the spending on endoscopic equipment and staff as outlined in Cancer In Scotland: Action For Change, National Implementation/Investment Plan 2001-02 in terms of whether they would result in improved cancer care or swifter, better diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.

Malcolm Chisholm: For too long decisions had been made in apparent isolation from those responsible for delivering cancer services and, as indicated on 3 July 2001, at the launch of Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change, it was confirmed that the Scottish Executive would in future be guided by NHSScotland in planning and investment decisions required for these services. The Scottish Cancer Group was tasked to bring forward investment plans to support implementation of Cancer in Scotland by end September 2001.

  Proposed implementation/investment plans were prepared within each of the north, south east and west of Scotland regional cancer advisory group areas. They were subsequently endorsed by the Scottish Cancer Group first in draft form at their meeting on 14 September and subsequently in their final form on 19 October 2001.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18265 by Susan Deacon on 6 November 2001, what information it holds on consultations with, and recommendations made by, oncologists on budget items included in Cancer In Scotland: Action For Change, National Implementation/Investment Plan 2001-02 .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Cancer Group (SCG) membership includes two oncologists as well as Dr Anna Gregor, Chairman and Lead Clinician for Cancer Services in Scotland who is also a practising oncologist.

  To advise and inform the development of the strategic agenda, all SCG members are expected to communicate freely with their colleagues across cancer networks, the voluntary sector and among patients and to ensure appropriate feedback to the group.

  In addition, I understand that regional planning processes included input from oncologists and other specialities with an interest in cancer services, as evidenced by the broad range of investment plans announced last month.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information or reports it has received from North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust and Greater Glasgow Health Board in respect of the placement of contracts with any medical recruitment agencies for the recruitment of locum or permanent consultant clinical oncologists for employment in the Glasgow cancer service.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Glasgow has confirmed that it will use all means necessary to secure the appropriate professionals to fill cancer posts. The Executive has not received any information or reports from North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust or Greater Glasgow NHS Board regarding the use of medical recruitment agencies at this stage.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the urgent measures are which have been put in place to deal with issues at the Beatson Oncology Unit.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking as a result of the report by the Greater Glasgow NHS Board into the situation at the Beatson Oncology Unit and the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Malcolm Chisholm: A raft of measures are being set in place including:

  new management arrangements including a dedicated joint Management Board;

  a high level external clinical support team;

  an organisational development programme, and

  full-time senior management support for doctors and other professionals to help better develop west of Scotland cancer services based on managed clinical networks regionally.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the new Joint Management Board at the Beatson Oncology Unit will operate.

Malcolm Chisholm: The joint management board will be multi-disciplinary in nature with members drawn from across the Beatson Oncology Centre, senior management representatives from the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust and NHS Greater Glasgow. It will report to the Chief Executive of the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the £250,000 allocated by the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust in April to ease pressure on staff at the Beatson Oncology Unit in Glasgow has been spent.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have been advised by the trust that this funding was invested to secure:

  five administrative staff to improve secretarial support;

  five additional nursing staff, one to improve bed management and the remainder to enhance chemotherapy services, and

  junior doctor banding to facilitate the provision of additional specialist registrar support at the Beatson Oncology Centre.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nursing posts are vacant at the Beatson Oncology Unit.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many posts for clinical oncologists (a) exist, (b) are vacant and (c) are currently funded by charities in each health board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the latest available data held centrally on the headcount of staff in post at 30 September 2000 (provisional) for those doctors whose speciality is recorded as clinical oncology. Vacancy information for consultant and staff grade clinical oncologists show there were no vacant posts at 30 September 2000. Vacancy information for other grades is not available centrally.

  Information on the number of posts funded by charities is not available centrally but is held by local NHS management. Contact details for NHS management personnel is available on www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

  Cancer services in Scotland are delivered by clinicians working within three regional managed clinical networks. The number of oncologists working within a particular NHS board area is therefore not an indicator of the level of local patient access to these highly specialised services.

  Clinical Oncologist directly employed by NHSScotland1

  Headcount at 30 September 2000 (provisional)

  

 

All Grades 
  

Consultant 
  

Associate Specialist 
  

Staff 
  

Specialist Registrar 
  

Senior House Officer 
  



Scotland 
  

74 
  

38 
  

1 
  

2 
  

21 
  

12 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

1 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Borders 
  

1 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Fife 
  

4 
  

4 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Forth Valley 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Grampian 
  

5 
  

4 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

40 
  

17 
  

- 
  

2 
  

11 
  

10 
  



Highland 
  

2 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Lothian 
  

22 
  

11 
  

1 
  

- 
  

8 
  

2 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Shetland 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Tayside 
  

5 
  

4 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Western Isles 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  Source: Medical and Dental Census at 30 September 2000 and is provisional, ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Includes honorary appointments.

  Data includes honorary appointments.

Children and Young People

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to support activity programmes and residential breaks for teenage mothers and their babies.

Nicol Stephen: My answer to question S1W-20184 set out the support we provide for activity programmes and residential breaks for children and young people. We also provide a range of support for teenage mothers and babies through Sure Start Scotland. There is no single model of support as the needs of children and parents will vary. Sure Start Scotland supports a range of activities which provide opportunities for parents to acquire skills; to promote self-esteem and personal confidence and to enable parents to assist the development of their children.

Children and Young People

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support befriending programmes for teenage mothers and their babies.

Nicol Stephen: The answer given to question S1W-20179 gives details of our Sure Start Scotland initiative, which provides support to teenage mothers and their babies, among others.

  In addition, we have also awarded a project grant of £50,000 for 2001-02 to Big Brothers and Sisters to assist them in developing a network of mentoring projects throughout Scotland. Big Brothers and Sisters provides mentors for children or young people from one-parent families.

Children and Young People

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to support activity programmes and residential breaks for socially, economically, behaviourally or emotionally disadvantaged children and young people.

Nicol Stephen: The answer given to question S1W-20184 sets out the resources being made available for out of school hours childcare and learning and study support, including activity programmes and residential breaks. Study support can be particularly helpful to disadvantaged pupils, particularly from older age groups, in providing them with access to facilities for study and challenging activities that might not otherwise be available to them. Similarly, the distribution formula for allocating childcare resources to local authorities takes account of comparative deprivation.

Children and Young People

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to support activity programmes and residential breaks for children and young people.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is providing funding of over £27 million for study support and out of school hours learning over the period 1999-2002. In addition the New Opportunities Fund is investing £23.6 million of lottery resources over the same period for out of school hours learning projects. As well as support for homework, coursework and the development of key skills, the programmes provide for creative ventures in the arts field and a full range of sports, including football, shinty, badminton and swimming, and adventurous outdoor activities such as sailing, canoeing, orienteering, abseiling, hill walking and cycling. Many of these activity programmes are provided on a residential basis at weekends and during the Easter and summer breaks.

  A further £8 million is being made available over 2001-04 to local authorities to enable them to support the most fragile existing out of school childcare provision in disadvantaged areas. This is additional to £49 million already allocated to local authorities in the last comprehensive spending review for childcare support. The New Opportunities Fund is also making £25.3 million available for out of school childcare projects over 1999-2003, which is being enhanced by up to £7 million to provide further support in disadvantaged areas. An additional £14 million will be made available by the New Opportunities Fund over 2002-06 for a range of childcare provision, including out of school care.

  In addition, Community Learning Strategy Partnerships are required to analyse the needs of local communities in planning provision of community-based education facilities. This analysis of local needs should include consideration of the requirements and appropriate provision of community-based resources for all young people.

Dentists

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new salaried dentist posts it has approved in the Grampian Health Board area since May 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: Three full-time and one part-time salaried dentist posts have been approved.

Dentists

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the number of hospital dental consultants employed in (a) restorative dentistry, (b) oral and maxillofacial surgery and (c) orthodontics in the Grampian Health Board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department does not make national recommendations on staffing levels as they would cut across local responsibilities and would undermine boards’ and trusts’ ability to provide a modern, flexible service matched to local needs. It is for NHS boards and trusts to assess and provide for local needs and to determine the staffing levels required for effective delivery of service outcomes.

Dentists

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been allocated to health boards covering remote and rural areas to ensure that people in these areas have access to general dental practitioners which is adequate and to the same standard as in the rest of the UK.

Malcolm Chisholm: Treatment by general dental practitioners is funded from the NHS general dental services budget which is demand-led. The Executive is in discussion with the dental profession on improved support for dentists in rural areas. These will inform the way forward in respect of these dentists.

Domestic Abuse

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take any particular measures in respect of aggressive or violent adults who abuse both their families and their animals.

Ms Margaret Curran: There are currently no plans for measures in this area.

Drug Misuse

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be spent per head of population in the financial year 2001-02 on measures to prevent young people becoming involved with drugs in (a) Inverclyde and (b) throughout Scotland.

Dr Richard Simpson: We estimate that £29.6 million will be spent in 2001-02 across Scotland, which equates to £5.79 per head of population, and £27.86 per head if the calculation is based on 0 to 16-year-olds.

  It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures for Inverclyde.

Education

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to cycling within its education policies.

Nicol Stephen: Cycling has its place within the health education curriculum and may be discussed in other areas such as environmental studies. However, as with the rest of the curriculum, priority given to individual aspects is for each education authority to determine.

  Many primary schools do undertake cycle training. A study earlier this year - A review of the Take-up of Cycle Training in Scottish Schools - indicated that of the 85% of schools who are offered training, two out of three accepted. In total circa 31% of children complete a cycle training course during the year.

  The Executive also supports the Safer Routes to Schools initiative. The aim of this initiative is to encourage more children to walk, cycle or take public transport to and from school.

  Finally, the Scottish School Travel Advisory Group is currently developing a strategy to reduce the reliance on car travel for the school run and thus increase the use of other modes including walking, cycling and public transport. Their report is due in the next few months.

Education

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training is given to classroom assistants in primary schools, with particular reference to those who work with pupils with special educational needs.

Nicol Stephen: The training of non-teaching classroom staff is a matter for local authorities. A Professional Development Award for Classroom Assistants has been developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority that contains optional modules dealing with children with special educational needs. In addition, the Local Government National Training Organisation has developed national occupational standards for classroom assistants for a Scottish Vocational Qualification at level 3 which also contains optional modules dealing with special educational needs.

Energy

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for Energy Action Scotland for each of the financial years (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02.

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding has been, or will be, received by Energy Action Scotland in each of the financial years (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02.

Iain Gray: For each of the three years concerned, Energy Action Scotland (EAS) have been sponsored by the Scottish Executive. They have been set targets of securing and investing private sector resources to improve home energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty and of enrolling local authorities as members of EAS. They received funding of £100,000 from the Executive in 1999-2000 and £102,500 in 2000-01 and will receive funding of £105,000 in 2001-02 if they meet their targets.

Environment

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have taken legal action under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to address specific problems relating to giant hogweed in each of the past three years.

Allan Wilson: This is a matter for individual local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Excellence Fund

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions were reached following its review of the Excellence Fund.

Nicol Stephen: The scope and operation of the Excellence Fund is currently under review by a working group comprising officials of the Scottish Executive Education Department and representatives of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland who are participating on behalf of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). I expect the group to report its conclusions to ministers and to COSLA within the next few weeks and an announcement will be made about the outcome of the review as soon as practicable thereafter.

Excellence Fund

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific lessons were learned in its review of the Excellence Fund by studying the Standards Fund administered by the Department of Education and Employment in England.

Nicol Stephen: As indicated in my reply to question S1W-20247, the Excellence Fund is currently under review. General account is being taken of the Standards Fund administered by the Department for Education and Skills.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be carrying out any random foot-and-mouth disease testing on sheep flocks over the winter period in order to protect against any re-emergence of the disease.

Ross Finnie: We have conducted extensive testing for foot-and-mouth disease of sheep flocks in all parts of Scotland, concentrating on Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. All tests were negative and all of Scotland has been declared foot-and-mouth disease free. The current veterinary advice is that further testing in Scotland is not considered necessary.

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to direct that there be a full inquiry into the running of the health service throughout the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust area.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4093 on 15 November 2001.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what explanation it has received from Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust on the reasons for the incidence of senior management departures, following the recent resignations of the Trust’s Directors of Nursing, Planning and Estates and the Medical Director in the past two months, and what plans it has to meet the trust to ensure that appropriate primary care services are being delivered throughout the Trust area.

Malcolm Chisholm: These are matters for the trust. I understand from the trust that the departures are unrelated; appointments have already been made to two of the posts mentioned and an appointment to the post of Medical Director will be made as soon as possible.

  It is for the trust to ensure that high quality primary care services continue to be available for the people of Lanarkshire.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and timescale is of the investigation into the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4093 on 15 November 2001.

  I have asked the Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow NHS Board to complete the review by end of the current calendar year.

Health

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants are based within the Immunology Clinic at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours per week consultants at the Immunology Clinic at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow work and what average time is taken to carry out consultations.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds are available at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow for patients referred by the Immunology Clinic.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is an operational matter for North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust as local service providers.

Highlands and Islands

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to appoint a minister with specific responsibility for the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Jack McConnell: The responsibility for Highlands and Islands Enterprise continues to lie with the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning. However, other ministers including the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will also take a particular interest in Highlands and Islands issues.

Hospitals

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial penalties will be incurred by Consort Healthcare (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) Ltd should the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary be unable to accept patients on the planned dates of transfer from the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital and the old Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Malcolm Chisholm: Should the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh be unable to accept patients as planned through any fault of the private sector provider of the facility, the financial penalties that will be incurred are those detailed in the Addendum to the Full Business Case, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17393).

Hospitals

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lothian NHS Board has advised it of any delay in transferring the sterilising centre from the City Hospital to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Malcolm Chisholm: The sterilising centre is on target to transfer to the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on 28 January 2002.

Hospitals

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate a Private Finance Initiative contract, such as Consort Healthcare (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) Ltd’s contract to build the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where funds have been transferred from the revenue budget to the capital budget as a result of an increase in the price of construction.

Malcolm Chisholm: The risk of increased construction cost is transferred to the private sector as part of the Private Finance Initiative contract, therefore revenue payments against the agreed contract are fixed by the contract.

  Any changes in the design of the building, agreed between the trust and their private sector partner since contract close, will result in an increase in the annual revenue cost to the trust. Any such increases are included in the trust’s financial plan.

Hospitals

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund the rebuilding of the Stonehouse Hospital; whether it is actively considering a private finance model for this project, and when it expects the rebuilding work to commence.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Department assessed the business case received from Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust for the redevelopment of part of the Stonehouse Hospital site.

  The business case indicated that there was potential to procure this development through a Public/Private Partnership/Private Finance Initiative and, in approving the business case, the trust was asked to fully explore this option.

  It is a matter for Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust to determine a suitable timetable for this project.

Justice

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many exclusion orders were (a) applied for and (b) granted in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: No figures are collected centrally for exclusion orders under either Part II of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or section 4 of the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection)(Scotland) Act 1981.

Justice

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any issues have been identified that prevent exclusion orders from being applied for.

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to review the use of exclusion orders.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive has identified a number of problems with exclusion orders and matrimonial interdicts under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981, and these are referred to in the white paper Parents and Children . Some have been addressed by the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001, and others will be dealt with in the forthcoming draft Family Law Bill. The National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland has set up a working group to review existing legislation relating to domestic abuse, and this is expected to complete its work next year.

  Research on the effectiveness of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is on-going and research work on exclusion orders has been identified as a priority for 2002-03. The Multi Disciplinary Review of Child Protection which is currently under way will include consideration of Exclusion Orders where they have been used in the cases the team will be auditing.

Justice

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how often domestic violence and/or child sexual abuse was cited in contact disputes in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it will provide to the police or to other criminal justice agencies regarding the prevention of any potential criminal activities following the introduction of the euro in other European countries in January 2002.

Mr Jim Wallace: The resources made available to police forces and other criminal justice agencies by the Scottish Executive are not directly linked to the costs of tackling specific criminal activities. Criminal justice agencies across the UK are of course fully apprised of the potential for criminal activity linked to the introduction of the euro.

Justice

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the outcome of the recent criminal proceedings against Andrew Aspinall, what measures it plans to take to avoid any repetition of the circumstances that led to this outcome in future cases involving abused young people.

Colin Boyd QC: I have now received a report from the Procurator Fiscal at Linlithgow into the circumstances of this case. Having considered this report I have decided to refer the case to the High Court of Justiciary in terms of section 123 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. This will enable the points of law raised by the case to be addressed by the High Court.

Justice

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) in total and (b) in each local authority area were arrested in the Strathclyde police force area in each of the last three years for contravening local byelaws banning drinking in public places.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on the number of people arrested for contravening byelaws banning drinking in designated places is not centrally collected. The available information on the numbers of such offences recorded by the police is given in the table. In general, an offence will be recorded for each person arrested.

  Offences recorded by the police for contravening byelaws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in designated places, 1998 to 2000

  


Area 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Strathclyde police force area 
  

9,006 
  

7,534 
  

9,748 
  



Argyll & Bute Council 
  

104 
  

92 
  

191 
  



East Ayrshire Council 
  

273 
  

266 
  

207 
  



East Dunbartonshire Council 
  

162 
  

115 
  

227 
  



East Renfrewshire Council 
  

114 
  

46 
  

156 
  



Glasgow City Council 
  

3,818 
  

3,355 
  

5,359 
  



Inverclyde Council 
  

590 
  

538 
  

256 
  



North Ayrshire Council 
  

343 
  

264 
  

182 
  



North Lanarkshire Council 
  

1,622 
  

916 
  

947 
  



Renfrewshire Council 
  

381 
  

403 
  

319 
  



South Ayrshire Council1


0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Lanarkshire Council 
  

1,388 
  

1,387 
  

1,737 
  



West Dunbartonshire Council 
  

211 
  

152 
  

167 
  



  Note:

  1. South Ayrshire Council has not introduced such byelaws.

Justice

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people arrested in each local authority area in the Strathclyde police force area for contravening local byelaws banning drinking in public places had previously been arrested for the same offence.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Community Right to Buy and Crofting Community Right to Buy elements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will come into effect.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 27 November. The Bill’s timetable thereafter is a matter for the Parliamentary Bureau. Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, secondary legislation will need to be prepared and passed by Parliament.

Local Government Finance

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is to be made available to Scottish Borders Council for expenditure incurred by the council following the snowfalls which occurred in February 2001.

Mr Andy Kerr: I am pleased to announce that Scottish Borders Council is eligible for a payment of £291,134 under the Bellwin Scheme. The scheme was activated on 29 August 2001 following representation from the council on costs directly associated with the immediate aftermath of the heavy snowfalls in February 2001.

  Scottish Borders Council’s costs were primarily revenue costs for clearing roads, supplying food to stranded passengers and hire of additional vehicles.

Meat Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4388/2001 of 21 November 2001, when it expects the first licenses to be issued for lamb exports from (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) the Scottish Borders.

Ross Finnie: The legislation permitting the slaughter of lambs from approved slaughter premises in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders was introduced on 3 December. Licences for movements to slaughter were subsequently issued that day.

  The first export health certificates were issued on 4 December for shipment on 6 December.

NHS Pay Review

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the reports and recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Bodies.

Mr Malcolm Chisholm: The Pay Review Body for Doctors and Dentists (DDRB) has recommended a general pay increase of 3.6% for all doctors and dentists, with the exception of General Medical Practitioners, for whom the recommendation is 4.6%.

  The Pay Review Body for Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and the Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB) has recommended a general pay increase of 3.6% for nurses, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine. In addition, the NPRB has recommended targeted increases for the lowest paid grade A and B nurses and equivalent PAMs – a minimum lump sum payment of £400 and extra progression for staff developing their skills through Scottish Vocational Qualifications.

  These increases are double the rate of inflation and ahead of pay settlements in the economy generally. They reward those who are at the heart of rebuilding our NHS and who deliver patient care day in, day out. The increases should also help with our plans for recruitment and retention generally – more nurses and more doctors for NHSScotland. I am therefore pleased to confirm that the Scottish Executive has accepted the recommendations of both the DDRB and NPRB for 2002-03 in full and that once again we will implement them without staging.

  The awards will be met from the resources available to health boards in 2002-03.

NHS Staff

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified psychiatric nurses are currently employed on the NHS 24 helpline.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS 24 is in the process of recruiting staff at present. The only criterion is that the nurses should be Registered General Nurses. If individuals hold a psychiatric qualification this would be "additional" rather than a core requirement.

NHS Waiting Lists

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently on the waiting list for the Immunology Clinic at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on waiting lists is collected centrally only for hospital in-patients and day cases.

NHS Waiting Lists

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for a consultation at the Immunology Clinic at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. Information on waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, following referral, is collected at speciality level only.

National Parks

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into any impact on traffic flows which the formation of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park will have on (a) the A84 between Callander and Lochearnhead and (b) the A85 between Lochearnhead and Crianlarich.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has not commissioned any research to look at the possible impact of the National Park on traffic flows.

Nursery Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE 1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, whether it is on target to provide a free nursery place for all three-year-olds whose parents want it by April 2002.

Cathy Jamieson: We are currently on target to achieve this commitment. Some local authorities have already reached the necessary level of provision. Our efforts will now be focused on discussions with those authorities that may have the greatest difficulty in reaching the target.

Nursery Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE 1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, whether Scottish Borders Council will have sufficient staff to meet the requirements of providing a free nursery place for all three-year-olds whose parents want it by April 2002.

Nicol Stephen: The council have been allocated the necessary resources to meet the requirement. Not all staff involved in the delivery of funded pre-school education are employed by local authorities. Local authorities have been given the lead role in developing pre-school education services in their area and may secure places either directly or by commissioning partners in the voluntary and private sectors.

Nursery Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its Press Release SE1745/2000 of 14 June 2000, how many three-year-olds currently have a free nursery place, broken down by education authority and also expressed as a percentage of the total number of three-year-olds in each authority.

Nicol Stephen: The number of children aged three who are in receipt of funded pre-school education in the 32 local authorities in the summer term of academic year 2000-01 is shown in the following table. The table also shows the numbers expressed as the participation rate of eligible population. The equivalent information relating to academic year 2001-02 will be available by July 2002.

  


Spring Term 2000-01 
  

Three-year-olds 
  



Children provided with places 
  

Participation Percentage 
  

Eligible Children 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

1,745 
  

75% 
  

2,320 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

2,293 
  

100% 
  

2,293 
  



Angus 
  

917 
  

75% 
  

1,215 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

912 
  

96% 
  

947 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

539 
  

94% 
  

571 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1,342 
  

81% 
  

1,666 
  



Dundee 
  

1,558 
  

93% 
  

1,679 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

1,115 
  

99% 
  

1,121 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

1,200 
  

100% 
  

1,200 
  



East Lothian 
  

763 
  

70% 
  

1,092 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

1,003 
  

91% 
  

1,100 
  



Edinburgh City 
  

3,631 
  

74% 
  

4,915 
  



Eilean Sair 
  

218 
  

97% 
  

225 
  



Falkirk 
  

997 
  

58% 
  

1,715 
  



Fife 
  

3,297 
  

82% 
  

4,008 
  



Glasgow 
  

5,513 
  

76% 
  

7,222 
  



Highland 
  

1,926 
  

77% 
  

2,492 
  



Inverclyde 
  

740 
  

73% 
  

1,010 
  



Midlothian 
  

722 
  

78% 
  

924 
  



Moray 
  

963 
  

100% 
  

963 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

1,302 
  

81% 
  

1,616 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

3,280 
  

80% 
  

4,109 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

190 
  

81% 
  

234 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

1,036 
  

100% 
  

1,036 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

1,622 
  

77% 
  

2,107 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

948 
  

85% 
  

1,110 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

218 
  

74% 
  

296 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

972 
  

82% 
  

1,189 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

2,779 
  

76% 
  

3,665 
  



Stirling 
  

868 
  

90% 
  

967 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

810 
  

100% 
  

810 
  



West Lothian 
  

1,246 
  

58% 
  

2,131 
  



Scotland 
  

46,665 
  

80% 
  

57,948

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether prison visitors to establishments run by the Scottish Prison Service are subject to fingerprinting and/or photographic records being taken.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  To improve security and speed up entry at Barlinnie and Edinburgh a Visitor Identity System is in place which involves taking an electronically scanned image of a visitor’s right index finger and a digital image of their face.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scots law allows or prohibits the practice of fingerprinting and/or photographic records being taken of visitors to penal establishments.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS have a legal duty to keep in custody prisoners who have been committed to prison by the courts. The Visitor Identity Systems described in the answer to question S1W-20062, have been introduced in implement of that legal duty, as a security measure to prevent prisoners from leaving the prison disguised as visitors and to help enforce the power contained in the 1994 Prison Rules, by ensuring that persons who have been prohibited from visiting are prevented from entering the prison.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the practice of fingerprinting and/or photographic records being taken of visitors to penal establishments complies with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS considers that the Visitor Identity Systems described in answer to question S1W-20062 do not breach the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is expected that the consultation paper on the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review will be published early in the New Year.

Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill on existing legislation on deer or any other species whose conservation or control is regulated by statute.

Ross Finnie: As with any new Bill, Scottish Executive lawyers have checked the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill for potential impacts on other legislation in order that any consequential amendments may be brought forward if necessary.

Public Sector

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take before May 2003 to relocate more public sector jobs to Glasgow.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19681 on 19 November 2001. No specific areas of Scotland are targeted, and none are ruled out when office relocations are considered. Glasgow will continue to be considered as a potential relocation site.

Rail Services

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided, or plans to provide, any financial support to any rail projects associated with the BP Amoco plant at Grangemouth, which projects these are, and what safety mechanisms have been built into the conditions for any such financial support to protect the public interest in the light of the recent announcement of job losses at the plant.

Lewis Macdonald: A Freight Facility Grant (FFG) award totalling £9.7 million was made in September 1999 to TDG Nexus for the development of rail freight facilities at Grangemouth. The main flow of traffic to be handled by the facility was as regards the production of polyethylene and polypropylene at the BP Amoco plant. An award of £10 million was also made in December 2000 to BP Oil UK Ltd for the transportation of fuel by rail from Grangemouth to various locations in Scotland.

  The conditions attached to FFG awards include provision for Scottish ministers to require the repayment of the whole, or part, of any grant already paid if the project is not completed or targets not met.

Rail Services

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last had consultations with Her Majesty’s Government on the Railway Modernisation Fund and whether it was informed in these consultations whether this fund was either in the process of being wound down or had ceased to operate.

Lewis Macdonald: I understand from the Executive’s discussions with the UK Government that future arrangements for investing and promoting private investment in the railway will be set out in the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan which is to be published shortly.

Rail Services

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from any organisation or individual regarding the winding down or cessation of the Railway Modernisation Fund and, if so, on what date and from whom.

Lewis Macdonald: I am not aware of any such representations.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether BEAR Scotland Ltd have been in breach of their obligations under their contract in respect of the provision of clearing and gritting of trunk roads in the Highlands, in particular on the 8 and 9 November 2001.

Lewis Macdonald: BEAR’s contract is complex and detailed and minor breaches will inevitably occur. There are set procedures for rectification of more significant breaches. The first step of this procedure is to issue a default notice to BEAR to ensure the level of service is maintained.

  The Scottish Executive has not issued default notices in relation to BEAR’s performance concerning winter maintenance on 8 and 9 November 2001.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which provisions of its contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd that are currently undisclosed will require to be made public on request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill.

Lewis Macdonald: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill has yet to complete its passage through the Parliament. In keeping with the approach under other statutory Freedom of Information regimes, it is envisaged that all requests for information would be considered on a case-by-case basis and, as such, it is not possible to anticipate whether any particular information relating to the Executive’s contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd would be disclosed.

Roads

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , whether management and maintenance of trunk roads has become a less customer-oriented service under the new trunk roads maintenance contracts and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , whether unit costs for maintaining the whole road network are likely to rise, even if it achieves lower unit costs for the trunk roads, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , whether any objectives of it and local authorities in respect of social inclusion, decentralisation of services and rural development have been compromised and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , what provision it has made to prevent any situation arising in which different organisations would have gritters and snow-clearing lorries attempting to travel on, but not being able to treat, each other’s roads, in order to reach and start work on their own roads.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annexe A of The new trunk road contracts , what its position is on the separate designations of roads for the purposes of determining the responsibility and funding available for the maintenance of trunk roads.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533, in response to publication of the Auditor General’s report.

Rural Development

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage diversification in the rural economy of Ayrshire particularly with regard to employment opportunities other than on farms.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is keen to support diversification within the rural economy. I launched the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS) in July, an innovative business support scheme which provides financial assistance to farmers and their immediate families who want to diversify within or outwith agriculture. A wide range of projects are eligible for grant under the FBDS ranging from projects to develop tourist facilities to projects to provide rural services. These projects will create additional employment opportunities in the rural economy. They will also bring wider benefits and help sustain rural communities through generating additional investment and providing additional services. Applications for grant are assessed on a regional basis by project assessment committees according to local priorities. Already over £150,000 has been awarded under the FBDS to support 11 projects throughout the west area.

Rural Development

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to provide farmers and agricultural workers in Ayrshire with greater access to funding for (a) skills training and support and (b) business advice and support.

Ross Finnie: Farmers and agricultural workers in Ayrshire have access to free business advice through the Small Business Gateway operated by Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire. The Scottish Executive also funds the Scottish Agricultural College and LANTRA to secure the availability of skills training and advice to farmers and agricultural businesses.

  As part of implementation of the Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, the Scottish Executive intends to review the current patterns of business and skills advice and training for agricultural businesses, to ensure that these best meet the needs of the industry.

Rural Development

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to maintain the status of small farms in Ayrshire as sustainable businesses.

Ross Finnie: Farms in Ayrshire, as elsewhere in Scotland, benefit from public support through a wide range of schemes funded by the Scottish Executive and the European Commission.

  The Farm Business Development Scheme, for example, supports farmers with the development of additional income generating opportunities so strengthening the sustainability of the farming business.

  It is, of course, for each individual business to decide how to maximise their potential for prosperity. The Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, published in July this year, set out a series of actions through which the farming industry could build a financially sustainable future, and the action which the Scottish Executive would take to support this.

School Meals

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken on the nutritional content of school meals.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken on any stigma attached to the current free school meals system.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it is allocating to making improvements in the school meals system.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1212 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 13 September 1999, whether it now has any plans to maximise the take-up of free school meals.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1600 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 September 1999, to what extent the recommendations of the Scottish Diet Action Plan Eating for Health have been implemented in catering services for pre-school and school age children.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1600 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 September 1999, what reports it has received from HM Inspectorate of Education on nutritional standards for school meals.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14438 by Mr Jack McConnell on 18 June 2001, whether there has been any progress in its discussions with COSLA on improving the take-up of free school meals.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE4376/2001 of 19 November 2001, whether the matters considered by the expert panel on school meals will include making school meals free for all school children.

Nicol Stephen: In 1996, the Scottish Diet Action Plan Eating for Health made a number of recommendations and included nutritional guidelines targeted primarily at pre-school and school age children. Education authorities and schools have been implementing these recommendations to varying degrees. In February 1999 the Her Majesty's Inspectorate report Drug and Nutritional Education identified good practice and areas where action was needed.

  In addition, the Scottish Consumer Council and the Health Education Board for Scotland jointly published their research School Meals Service in Scotland, on 19 November which covers a number of issues. The Food in Schools Conference which was held in May 2001, and was supported jointly by the Scottish Executive, the Food Standards Agency, the Scottish Consumer Council and the Health Education Board for Scotland also reported on 19 November. The main outcome from the conference was agreement on the need for a national strategy for school meals to include standards for nutritional content and dining facilities within a framework which eliminates the stigma associated with free school meals.

  To take this agenda forward I recently announced, together with the Ministers for Health and Community Care and Social Justice, the establishment of an expert panel to make recommendations for wide ranging improvements in the delivery of school meals. Chaired by a Director of Education, the panel's remit will be provide Scottish ministers with fully costed recommendations, and an implementation and monitoring strategy to:

  Establish standards for the nutritional content of school meals

  Eliminate the stigma attached to free school meals and improve take up

  Improve the presentation of school meals

  The expert panel will include representatives from a wide range of sectors and stakeholders and it will operate in a consultative and participatory manner to ensure that the views of key groups such as parents, children and young people are taken into account. The panel is expected to report in the autumn of 2002.

School Meals

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what categories of children will benefit from the Fruit Plus and Smart Card initiatives.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Fruit Plus and Smart Card initiatives for school children will cost in each year for which estimates are available.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Fruit Plus and Smart Card initiatives for school children are expected to last.

Nicol Stephen: The Fruit Plus initiative is a Glasgow City Council/Greater Glasgow Health Board initiative. It aims to provide a piece of fruit three days a week for pre-school nurseries and primary schools in Glasgow. The funding and timescale of the initiative are a matter for the local authority and the health board.

  Smartcard initiatives are being introduced across a number of local authorities in Scotland, including developments in Aberdeen, Angus, Argyll and Bute and Glasgow that are supported through the Modernising Government Fund. The current focus of these developments is youth and education services, primarily secondary schools.

  A steering group chaired by the Scottish Executive with membership from local authority Chief Executives has been set up to put in place a framework for smartcards. Early tasks for the group will be to identify the categories of service most appropriate to smartcards, the likely costs of delivering smartcards and the timescale for such projects across the Scottish public sector

Schools

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a valuation of the land occupied by Drummond School, Inverness, has been obtained by the relevant local authority, or any other public body or agency, and if so whether a copy of the valuation will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Nicol Stephen: Any arrangements concerning the valuation of the land occupied by Drummond School, Inverness would be for The Highland Council as the education authority responsible for the management of the school. Such arrangements do not involve the Scottish Executive or any public body or agency for which the Scottish Executive may have responsibility.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what conference facilities it has within its premises and where they are.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are a range of meeting facilities within Scottish Executive buildings. These are intended to support a range of meetings, discussions, seminars and conferences.

  The main meeting facilities in the Executive’s larger buildings are set out in the following table.

  


Victoria Quay
Edinburgh 
  

A suite of 12 conference rooms, seating between 15 and 
  100 people. 
  



St Andrew’s House
Edinburgh 
  

Six conference rooms seating between six and 16 people, 
  conference style (or up to 40 people where adjacent rooms 
  are combined). In addition there are two media rooms seating 
  up to 40 and 100 people in theatre style only. 
  



Saughton House
Edinburgh 
  

One conference room seating 25 people, conference style. 
  



Pentland House
Edinburgh 
  

Two conference rooms seating 20 and 25 people, conference 
  style. 
  



Meridian Court
Glasgow 
  

Two conference rooms seating 20 and 30 people, conference 
  style. 
  



Europa Building
Glasgow 
  

Three conference rooms seating 30, 35 and 35 people, conference 
  style.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of its press and communications budget spending in each of the past two years and what the projected spending is for each of the next two years.

Mr Andy Kerr: As a consequence of devolution, since 1999 the Scottish Executive has strengthened the resources devoted to media and communications in order to respond to the much higher level of public and media interest in the work the Executive is doing than was the case for the Scottish Office. There has in particular been an increase in the number of press officers to support the work of cabinet and deputy ministers, from some 20 in 1999 to over 40 today, as well as the development of a news based component to the Scottish Executive website and continuing spending on publicity and other communication functions.

  The out-turn for spending in the Media and Communications Group budget (covering running costs but not publicity spend) was £1.966 million in 1999-2000 and £2.007 million in 2000-01. Based on spend to date, we expect the outturn in 2001-02 to be of the order of £3 million. No firm budget is in place as yet for 2002-03.

Sport

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all bids made for major sporting events to be held in Scotland in the future.

Mike Watson: The Scottish Executive recently bid for the Ryder Cup golf tournament and the event is to be held in Scotland in 2014. The Executive is presently assisting the Scottish Football Association with consideration of whether to bid for the European Nations Football Championships in 2008. Successful bids have been made by governing bodies/local authorities for the European Junior Swimming and Diving Competition in 2003, the European Cross Country Championships in 2003 and the World Bowls Championships in 2004. The Executive is also aware that a number of other bids have been made or are being considered, including a joint bid by the Scottish Rugby Union and the Irish Rugby Football Union for the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Teachers

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time permanent jobs have been advertised for secondary school teachers in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) subject and (b) local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: Advertising of jobs for school teachers is a matter for local authorities. The information requested on advertised posts is not held centrally.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what appointments have been made to Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board in each year since 1997 and what the (a) party affiliation of and (b) remuneration received by each appointee was.

Mike Watson: This is an operational matter for Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board.

Vehicle Licensing

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any submission it made to the consultation exercise by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on the use of national symbols on vehicle registration plates in Scotland; when any such submission was made, and what feedback it has received since.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including vehicle number plates. The Executive welcomes the DVLA consultation and has made clear the view of Scottish ministers that people should have the freedom to display national symbols provided there are no overriding safety implications.

Waste Management

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was represented at the Waste Summit hosted by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 21 November 2001 and, if so, by whom.

Ross Finnie: The Waste Summit was convened to discuss waste management in England. The Executive was invited to send a representative on 21 November as an observer (as were the other devolved administrations). The Head of the Recycling and Waste Team, Environment and Rural Development Department attended.

Water Fluoridation

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the full health effects of water fluoridation will be taken into account in its consultation process on water fluoridation.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive will take appropriate account of all relevant issues raised by individuals and organisations who contribute to the oral health consultation process.

Wildlife

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward legislation dealing with wildlife issues before May 2003.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1F-1341 on 1 November 2001.

Wildlife

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which members representing Scottish interests are on the GB-wide review of non-native species; what information it has on the complete membership of this review group, and what the remit of the group is.

Allan Wilson: The remit of the Non-Native Species Policy Group is to offer advice to ministers of the UK Government, National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive on the effectiveness of current statutory and non-statutory procedures for dealing with the introduction and establishment of non-native species. The group will also advise on: examples of best practice within the UK and abroad; the main vectors for the introduction and control of non-native species; proposals for improving measures to limit the ecological and economic impact of non-native species in GB, and organisations who might take forward any recommended measures. The findings of this review are expected to be with ministers by summer 2002.

  Policy and scientific staff from the Executive serve on this group which is chaired by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Scottish interests are further represented through Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

  Some 20 organisations serve on this group, representing trade associations, nature conservation/advisory bodies, NGOs and other Government Departments.